short
fuse.”
“Pretty noticeable, huh?”
“More like glaringly obvious. But then I’m
more intuitive than some people.”
“I haven’t decided the best way to go about
it yet.”
Francis grinned. “You could order her to
let loose, but personally, I don’t think that’s the way to go.”
Seth blew out a breath, using the rag in
his hand to wipe his fingers clean. “And just what would you suggest?”
“Anything that’ll keep her from trying to
stab me with the nearest butcher knife. C’mon, Colonel, you can’t leave her
here like this. Her hands shake, she looks over her shoulder a lot and she gets
this wild look in her eyes when you leave the rooms — afraid, like she’s
afraid you won’t come back. I’ll bet she doesn’t sleep either. Not that it
would bother me—you know how I feel about quiet places. But her wire’s
stretched about as tight as it’ll go and I’d rather she snapped all over you.”
“I’m sure you would,” Seth replied dryly.
“What the hell made Will think he could
drop her in your lap like that and get away with it?”
“Problem is, he may have gotten away with
it. He’s gone under and I have the feeling he doesn’t plan on coming up until
the trial. He’s already walking a tightrope with his superiors. Claims there’s
a leak somewhere. Until this is over or the leak is exposed he has about as
much chance as she does of staying alive until the trial.”
Frances ran his tongue around his teeth. “Where’s
the leak?”
“At the top, I think. I don’t know how far
down it goes. You tell her nothing until I’ve had a chance to scout out the
situation and see where we stand. She already has it in her mind I’m some kind
of weekend warrior.”
“You didn’t tell her.” Francis knew better
than to let it come out sounding like an accusation. It was more of an
observation.
“There’s no need for her to know.”
“There’ll be every need if Juarez gets his
hands on her. Don’t you think she deserves to know how vicious he can be when
he’s rolled? She might change her tune a little if she knew what was in store
for her.”
Seth slammed the hood of the truck harder
than necessary. “Drop it, Francis.”
The preacher raised his hands in defense. “Okay
fine. But you are going to take care of the problem, right?”
“I’ll take care of it.”
“Thanks. Now I can go to sleep at night
without fearing for my life.”
* * * * *
Seth found Maria hiding out in her room. “Come
with me.”
She turned from the window she was staring
out of to ask, “Where?”
“Outside.”
He could almost hear her grinding her teeth
behind him as he led her from the cabin and a good distance into the wooded boundary,
to a small clearing. This would do as well as any other place. “Okay.” He
stopped and turned to her. “Hit me.”
She arched a winged brow at him. “I beg your
pardon?”
“Hit me.”
“Why?”
“Just do it,” he told her. “Close your fist
and aim for a body part. It doesn’t matter.”
She looked offended that he suggested such
a thing. “I’m not going to hit you.”
“You want to. Here’s your chance.”
“I most certainly do not want to.”
“Too bad. I don’t like giving orders twice.
Do it.”
Her mouth worked, then sagged open as she
stared at him incomprehensively.
“You need it,” he insisted. When she still
didn’t move he gave her a straight-down-the-nose chauvinistic look sure to curl
her sensibilities. “Look, lady, I don’t have all day. I want to get on the road
before dark.”
Close. She was so close. Her hands fisted
at her side but still she made no move toward him.
“My name is Maria,” she ground out. “It’s a very simple name. Not lady, not
honey, just plain Maria. Three syllables.”
He hated to push her this way, he really
did, it was better if she came to it on her own, but Francis was being such a pussy
about it. The preacher could take a bullet to the gut, but one small woman with
a
fuse.”
“Pretty noticeable, huh?”
“More like glaringly obvious. But then I’m
more intuitive than some people.”
“I haven’t decided the best way to go about
it yet.”
Francis grinned. “You could order her to
let loose, but personally, I don’t think that’s the way to go.”
Seth blew out a breath, using the rag in
his hand to wipe his fingers clean. “And just what would you suggest?”
“Anything that’ll keep her from trying to
stab me with the nearest butcher knife. C’mon, Colonel, you can’t leave her
here like this. Her hands shake, she looks over her shoulder a lot and she gets
this wild look in her eyes when you leave the rooms — afraid, like she’s
afraid you won’t come back. I’ll bet she doesn’t sleep either. Not that it
would bother me—you know how I feel about quiet places. But her wire’s
stretched about as tight as it’ll go and I’d rather she snapped all over you.”
“I’m sure you would,” Seth replied dryly.
“What the hell made Will think he could
drop her in your lap like that and get away with it?”
“Problem is, he may have gotten away with
it. He’s gone under and I have the feeling he doesn’t plan on coming up until
the trial. He’s already walking a tightrope with his superiors. Claims there’s
a leak somewhere. Until this is over or the leak is exposed he has about as
much chance as she does of staying alive until the trial.”
Frances ran his tongue around his teeth. “Where’s
the leak?”
“At the top, I think. I don’t know how far
down it goes. You tell her nothing until I’ve had a chance to scout out the
situation and see where we stand. She already has it in her mind I’m some kind
of weekend warrior.”
“You didn’t tell her.” Francis knew better
than to let it come out sounding like an accusation. It was more of an
observation.
“There’s no need for her to know.”
“There’ll be every need if Juarez gets his
hands on her. Don’t you think she deserves to know how vicious he can be when
he’s rolled? She might change her tune a little if she knew what was in store
for her.”
Seth slammed the hood of the truck harder
than necessary. “Drop it, Francis.”
The preacher raised his hands in defense. “Okay
fine. But you are going to take care of the problem, right?”
“I’ll take care of it.”
“Thanks. Now I can go to sleep at night
without fearing for my life.”
* * * * *
Seth found Maria hiding out in her room. “Come
with me.”
She turned from the window she was staring
out of to ask, “Where?”
“Outside.”
He could almost hear her grinding her teeth
behind him as he led her from the cabin and a good distance into the wooded boundary,
to a small clearing. This would do as well as any other place. “Okay.” He
stopped and turned to her. “Hit me.”
She arched a winged brow at him. “I beg your
pardon?”
“Hit me.”
“Why?”
“Just do it,” he told her. “Close your fist
and aim for a body part. It doesn’t matter.”
She looked offended that he suggested such
a thing. “I’m not going to hit you.”
“You want to. Here’s your chance.”
“I most certainly do not want to.”
“Too bad. I don’t like giving orders twice.
Do it.”
Her mouth worked, then sagged open as she
stared at him incomprehensively.
“You need it,” he insisted. When she still
didn’t move he gave her a straight-down-the-nose chauvinistic look sure to curl
her sensibilities. “Look, lady, I don’t have all day. I want to get on the road
before dark.”
Close. She was so close. Her hands fisted
at her side but still she made no move toward him.
“My name is Maria,” she ground out. “It’s a very simple name. Not lady, not
honey, just plain Maria. Three syllables.”
He hated to push her this way, he really
did, it was better if she came to it on her own, but Francis was being such a pussy
about it. The preacher could take a bullet to the gut, but one small woman with
a
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